Questions

112. Deputy William Aird asked the Minister for Enterprise, Tourism and Employment the way in which his Department is supporting Irish small and medium enterprises looking to enter international markets; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [38296/26]

113. Deputy Paul Lawless asked the Minister for Enterprise, Tourism and Employment the financial supports, compensation schemes, tax relief measures, or emergency assistance available to business owners who have experienced a loss of revenue as a result of repeated power outages or electricity supply disruptions; and if he will outline the supports currently available to affected businesses. [37972/26]

114. Deputy Emer Currie asked the Minister for Enterprise, Tourism and Employment the number of men and women who applied for parent's benefit in the past three years; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [38032/26]

115. Deputy Emer Currie asked the Minister for Enterprise, Tourism and Employment the number of men who applied for paternity benefit and the number of women who applied for maternity benefit in the past three years; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [38034/26]

116. Deputy Emer Currie asked the Minister for Enterprise, Tourism and Employment if he will provide an update on the national life sciences strategy consultation process; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [38152/26]

117. Deputy Emer Currie asked the Minister for Enterprise, Tourism and Employment if he will outline any engagement he has had with industry on the subject of new graduates being unable to obtain entry-level jobs in areas most affected by the adoption of artificial intelligence; if his Department has conducted any industry surveys to assess the existence of such a trend; and if he will make a statement on the matter.…

118. Deputy John Paul O'Shea asked the Minister for Enterprise, Tourism and Employment the number of SMEs who have availed of the Energy Efficiency Grant by County and by sector in each of the years 2023 to 2025 and to-date in 2026, in tabular form; if there are any plans to amend the scheme to increase the level of grant aid or make it easier for SMEs to access given the rising cost of energy; and if he will make a …

119. Deputy David Cullinane asked the Minister for Enterprise, Tourism and Employment the supports in place for businesses and workers in response to a fire (details supplied), including those who lost premises and those indirectly impacted due to asbestos risks; the engagement he has had with the Minister for Social Protection on supports for workers; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [38343/26]

120. Deputy John Brady asked the Minister for Enterprise, Tourism and Employment to provide an update on job losses at a company (details supplied); to provide urgent clarification on the handling of this redundancy process; the supports available for affected workers; if he will address the legislative gap that allows employers to bypass trade unions in collective redundancy situations; and if he will make a stateme…

121. Deputy Pa Daly asked the Minister for Education and Youth if she will provide an update on the application for a second special class at a school (details supplied); if approval will be granted for same; if not, the reasons for the decision given the concerns raised locally regarding the availability of special class places in the area; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [37964/26]

122. Deputy Albert Dolan asked the Minister for Education and Youth the measures currently in place to provide training for primary and post-primary teachers in the management of epilepsy in students; if any such training is mandatory or voluntary; if she has plans to introduce mandatory epilepsy awareness and seizure response training for teachers; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [37966/26]

123. Deputy Claire Kerrane asked the Minister for Education and Youth the estimated cost to the Exchequer per annum of the standard five days of non-teaching time in primary schools; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [37986/26]

124. Deputy Shónagh Ní Raghallaigh asked the Minister for Education and Youth if she will identify pressure areas in South Kildare in terms of the demand for special class places; the number of children in the location have not been offered an appropriate place; if she anticipates children not being provided a place; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [38011/26]

125. Deputy Albert Dolan asked the Minister for Education and Youth if she is aware of the situation affecting a school (details supplied), where pupils with a mild or moderate learning disability who are enrolled in an NCSE-approved special class designated for autism/ASD are being deemed ineligible for the special class grant under Circular 0066/2025; the reason for this exclusion; if this policy will be reviewed t…

126. Deputy Emer Currie asked the Minister for Education and Youth the current average processing time for assistive technology applications; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [38037/26]

127. Deputy Paul Nicholas Gogarty asked the Minister for Education and Youth the reason the teacher allocation at a school (details supplied) has been reduced, leaving the school with one less mainstream classroom teacher for the upcoming academic year; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [38041/26]

128. Deputy Paul Nicholas Gogarty asked the Minister for Education and Youth if the determination to introduce a split class is a decision made by her Department or the school itself; the requirements for this to take place; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [38042/26]

129. Deputy Eoin Ó Broin asked the Minister for Education and Youth to provide advice regarding options to a parent of a child with additional needs (details supplied) who is being expelled from their special school; when the educational welfare officer will be in contact with the parent following referral a number of weeks ago; the support being provided by the NCSE to the family, given they have been aware of the b…

130. Deputy Seamus Healy asked the Minister for Education and Youth the position regarding the application by a school (details supplied) for special school status; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [38051/26]

131. Deputy Sorca Clarke asked the Minister for Education and Youth the engagement she has had with the Teaching Council regarding the delays experienced by teachers in view of the case of a person (details supplied); her intended action to ensure timely processing and response time to teachers wishing to return to Ireland; and whether she intends to align Teaching Council processing times with the urgency of the nat…

132. Deputy Robert O'Donoghue asked the Minister for Education and Youth if consideration will be given to expanding the upper age limit and September age cut-off criteria within the admissions policy for the new special school in Balbriggan, in recognition of the fact that many children with additional needs commence school later than their peers due to developmental, medical or placement-related delays; and if she …

133. Deputy Robert O'Donoghue asked the Minister for Education and Youth if flexibility will be introduced to ensure that children who may be over the stated age threshold, or who miss the September cut-off by a short period, are not excluded from accessing an appropriate special school placement where a clear educational need exists in the new special school in Balbriggan; and if she will make a statement on the mat…

134. Deputy Shónagh Ní Raghallaigh asked the Minister for Education and Youth if her Department is considering a data-sharing arrangement with the Department of Health to facilitate forward planning in the area of special education; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [38101/26]

135. Deputy Shónagh Ní Raghallaigh asked the Minister for Education and Youth if Project Nexus will be linked with a centralised application system for families; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [38102/26]

136. Deputy Shónagh Ní Raghallaigh asked the Minister for Education and Youth for an update on recruitment for the Education Therapy Service; the funding available to the service for expansion over the coming years; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [38103/26]